TNAG-1514-FCO40-2072-Shipping-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 78

OCMIAN 7489

CONFIDENTIAL

DD 150100Z HOKON

FM FCOLN TO HOKON

141800Z JAN

GRS 325

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO DESKBY 150100Z HONG KONG

TELNO 95

OF 141800Z JANUARY 86

TOP COPY

CONFIDENTIAL

7489.

1

HKK 175 /L.

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

16 JAN1986

DESK OFFICER

REGISTRY

INDEX

PA

| Action Taken

YOUR TELNO 117: HONG KONG REGISTER OF SHIPPING: PROPOSAL PAPER 1. THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXPLANATION OF THE REASONS FOR REMOVING THE PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS CRITERION FROM THE OWNERSHIP REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPANY-OWNED SHIPS ON THE NEW HONG KONG REGISTER, AND, IN EFFECT, ITS REPLACEMENT BY THE CONCEPT OF THE MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL OF SHIPS FROM HONG KONG. DTP STILL THINK THAT THE CRITICISM THAT HONG KONG SHIP-OWNERS ARE SO ANXIOUS TO AVOID THAT AN FOC IS BEING SET UP IS VERY LIKELY TO BE LEVELLED AT YOU FROM SOME QUARTERS AS A RESULT OF THIS CHANGE. NO DOUBT YOU ARE DEVELOPING THE PRECISE MEANING TO BE ATTACHED TO THE TERM 'MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL OF A SHIP' IN ORDER TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THIS CHARGE, INSOFAR AS IT CARRIES THE PEJORATIVE CONNOTATION OF A REGISTER OF UNSAFE SHIPS, DOES NOT

APPLY IN HONG KONG'S CASE.

2. INCIDENTALLY WE NOTE THAT YOUR REVISED CHAPTER 4 (YOUR TELNO SHIP 1) RETAINS THE INDIVIDUAL OWNERSHIP CRITERION OF 'ORDINARY RESIDENCE'. HAVE YOU GIVEN ANY FURTHER THOUGHT TO THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE REPLACEMENT OF THIS CRITERION BY THAT OF RIGHT OF ABODE, AS DISCUSSED IN THE MEETING BETWEEN FCO, DTP AND

HKG OFFICIALS ON 20 NOVEMBER?

2.

ON REFLECTION WE FEEL THAT PARA 1 OF OUR TELNO 75 GIVES A

MISLEADING IMPRESSION OF DTP'S ROLE. WE SHOULD CLARIFY THAT DTP

1

CONFIDENTIAL